2022 Edition

Every day tons of waste are produced. Many of these disposed objects such as bottles and other packaging – are not purchased by necessity, and are the consequence of lack of awareness and as a result of our consumerist habits. Coming to plastic bottles, Italy is the third consumer worldwide.  On the other hand, the streets of our cities are increasingly becoming home for many under-privileged people. These populations, despite the consumerist section of the society retrieves most of their belongings out of what the rest consider waste, reusing cardboard sheets, paper cups and plastic bags -giving them a circular life.  The Pop-up Kindness store is meant to be a welcoming space where people in need can get second hand clothes for free in a dignified way. Its shape reminds of the ancestral shelters (native American tents) as well as the mountains of waste in landfills.  All the products employed – from the construction materials to the donated clothes – are “living their second life” being reused (the clothes), recycled (the metal structure, the plastic shelves and mannequins) or upcycled (the plastic bottles envelope).  This structure aims to reuse what is considered waste, show the value of waste and dignify the under-privileged populations.